Ralf Schumacher has weighed in on the future of seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton, predicting that the British driver will never return to Mercedes, the team where he achieved the bulk of his career success.
Hamilton, who made a highly anticipated move to Ferrari in 2025, has endured a tough debut season with the Italian team. At one point during the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend in Budapest, the 40-year-old openly criticized his performance, referring to himself as “useless” and even suggesting Ferrari should consider replacing him. These remarks sparked widespread speculation over his future in the sport and potential return to his former team.
However, Schumacher believes a return to Mercedes is unlikely. He pointed out Hamilton’s age, financial demands, and the natural progression of the sport as reasons why Mercedes and other top teams should focus their efforts elsewhere.
“It’s hard to see Lewis returning to Mercedes. At 40, he has certain requirements especially financial and questions remain about how long he intends to keep racing,” Schumacher stated. “While he’s still performing at a high level, it’s unclear if he’s still at the peak of his abilities.”
Instead, Schumacher advocates for Formula 1 teams to invest in young talent. He highlighted several rising stars who he believes have the potential to shape the future of the sport.
“Bearman is showing great promise. Hadjar is delivering solid performances, and Kimi is quite impressive under the right conditions. Bortoleto also deserves recognition. These are young drivers teams should be watching closely,” he noted.
He didn’t stop there, extending his admiration to the junior categories. “Alex Dunne and Arvid Lindblad in Formula 2 are demonstrating strong potential. If I were a team principal, I’d be focusing on nurturing young drivers those who haven’t yet reached their ceiling and can be molded into long-term assets.”
Hamilton spent 11 seasons at Mercedes from 2013 to 2024, winning six world titles with the Silver Arrows and cementing his status as one of the sport’s all-time greats. Despite his past glories, Schumacher’s comments reflect the changing priorities in Formula 1, where youth and long-term potential are becoming more valuable than ever.
